Flat top bead welt



y 7, 1958 L. H. GEMME 2,835,991

FLAT TOP'BEAD'WELT Filed July 27, 1955 Jazzy/5 United States Patent FLAT TOP BEAD WELT Leon H. Gemme, Worcester, Mass., assignor to L. Earher Welting Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 27, 1955, Serial No. 524,670

2 Claims. (Cl. 36-78) This invention relates to welting and more especially to bead welting and a method of making it. w

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a. Welt having an improved bead which will minimize separation between its inner edge and the upper; which will minimize stitch-under; which will afiord a broad fiat upper surface for receiving decorative stitching when desired; which will not gap at its outer side adjacent the extension; which will have a continuous grain surface where exposed and a flesh surface for attachment to the shoe; and which will be distinctive in appearance and economical to manufacture.

As herein illustrated the strip has a grain surface extension of uniform thickness, a beveled sewing edge and a bead intermediate the extension and sewing edge, which has a vertical thickness corresponding to the thickness of the extension, an exposed surface constituted by a homologous grain layer affording a convex, outwardly facing side and a broad, flat upwardly facing top, and an inwardly facing side constituted by a substantially flat vertical surface originating at a right angle corner at the top of the bead and descending to approximately the level of the Welt extension. The beveled edge is constituted by two plies, the upper ply being an integral flap hinged to the base of the bead. Optionally the flap may be omitted.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a fragmentary portion of a welt strip of rectangular cross section having an upper grain surface and a lower flesh surface;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the welt strip cut to provide a bead core and attaching flap;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the welt strip cut as shown in Fig. 2 with the bead core lifted upwardly away from the underlying shelf;

Fig. 4 is a vertical end view of the welt strip with the bead set up; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical end view of an alternative form of the welt strip with the flap omitted.

Referring to the drawings the starting strip is a length of grain leather of substantially rectangular cross section having a top grain surface 12, a bottom flesh surface 14, and square inner and outer edges 16 and 18 respectively. In this strip the epidermis which terminates in the grain surface is identified by the dense strippling near the top of the strip and constitutes a dense layer 20 which will take a fine finish. The corium 22 which is subjacent thereto is a much less dense but tougher fibrous composition and constitutes by far the major part of the body of the strip.

The strip 10 is operated upon by making a cut 24 in the bottom surface 14 which is spaced from and parallel to the inner edge 16 and extends upwardly and outwardly on an incline through the corium layer 22 to approximately the underside of the epidermis layer 20 and then outwardly along a horizontal plane 26 beneath the epi- M 2,835,991 C Patented May 27, 1958 dermis toward the outer edge 18 by an amount which is approximately equal to the spacing of the lower end of the cut 24 from the inner edge 16. Another cut 28 is made starting in the upper grain surface of the strip, spaced from and parallel to the inner edge 16 and descending vertically downward through the epidermis and into the corium to near the bottom of the strip, preferably leaving enough of the corium layer beneath its lowermost end to constitute a hinge.

The cuts 24, 26 and 28 provide a head core 30 which corresponds in thickness to the strip, a hinge 32 of epidermis connecting the core to the strip and an attaching flap 34 connected at its lower end to the bottom of the bead core. The aforesaid cuts also leave a shelf having an upper horizontal portion 36 and an inclined or beveled portion 38. Adhesive c is applied to the underside of the hinge 32, the bead core 36, the face of the flap 34 and/ or to the surfaces 36 and 38 of the shelf, as may he desired, whereupon the hinge 32 is folded to seat the bead core with its bottom surface on the horizontal surface 36 of the shelf and then the flap 34 is bent outwardly and downwardly into engagement with the beveled surface 38. Molding pressure is required to cramp and set the bead core firmly into place and to provide for shaping the bead so that as shown in Fig. 4 it has an outwardly facing, convex side 40, a substantially flat, up-

wardly facing surface 42 parallel to the welt extension,

a right angular corner 44 and a substantially vertical fiat shoulder 46 extending downwardly from the top surface to approximately the level or" the welt extension. Simultaneously, or as successive operation, the flap 3% is pressed downwardly into film engagement with the bevel 38. The operations of setting up the bead, applying the adhesive 0 and molding may be carried out successively or simultaneously depending upon what is most expedient from the standpoint of manufacture.

As thus formed a broad, flat top bead is provided which is integral at its outer side with the welt extension being joined thereto by an uninterrupted continuous homologous layer of epidermis which extends from the outer edge of the welt extension over the outer side of the bead and the top surface thereof. The dense epidermis layer is adapted to take a finish and will prevent any possibility of a gap opening between the bead and welt extension at its exposed outer side. Additionally the dense right angular shoulder at the inner side of the bead lessens stitchunder due to imperfect sewing operations and lessens the tendency for the core to separate or to be drawn away from the wall of the shoe following wear, such as is common in the conventional round top bead welts. Furthermore the attaching flap 34 at the base of the core, being integral therewith, holds the inner edge of the head down so that there is no chance for lateral outward displacement which might give rise to a gap between it and the wall of the shoe.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5, the cut 28 may be omitted so that the bead core 30 has no flap 34. As thus constructed the core 30 will be crowded onto the shelf 36 and fastened thereto by adhesive c and the sewing edge will be constituted by the beveled edge 38 and will be a single layer. In other respects the welt will have the same characteristics as that shown in the preferred form in Fig. 4, to wit, an outwardly facing convex side 49, a substantially flat, upwardly facing surface 42 parallel to the welt extension, a right angle corner 44 and a substantially vertical, flat shoulder 46, the latter differing from the preferred form in that it extends vertically downward to below the level of the welt extension to substantially the level of the corium layer.

it should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall with in the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. Shoe welting comprising a single ply extension at its outer margin, a horizontal shoulder at its inner margin,

said horizontal" shoulder having a top surface which is below the top surface of the extension and a'thickness 'whichis greater than one-half the-thickness of the extension, a bead, having fiat top and bottom surfaces and, cjorresponding in thickness 'to the thickness of the extension, seated on the horizontal shoulder with 1ts bottom surface in contact with the top of the shoulder and with 7 its top, surface above and parallel to the top. surface of the'extension, a hinge element corresponding in thickness,

to the; difference between the thickness of thefextension and the shoulder, integral at one end with the extension gin, said shoulder having atop surface which is below the top surface of the extension and a thickness which 'is greater than one-half the thickness of the extension, a,

bead, having flat top and bottom surfaces and correspond ing in thickness to the thickness of the extension, seated on the horizontal shoulder with; its bottom surface in contact with the top of the" shoulder and with'its'top surface above and parallel to thetop surface of the exten sion, a hinge element corresponding in thickness 'to the difference between the thickness of the extension and the shoulder, integral atone end with the extension andat its other end with the top of the bead, said hinge-element providing a continuous grain surface. which extends up V wardly from the top of the extension to andacross the and at its. other end with thetopt of the head, said hinge element providing a continuous grain surface which extends upwardly from the top of the extension to and across the top of the head, a perpendicular shoulder at V the inner side of the head which extends vertically'down its outer margin, a horizontal shoulder at its inner mar- 146,912 7 j 1,585,513 Royal" 1 May 18,1925 1,687,462 Lyon 2 Oct. 19-28 2,142,228 Vizard "Jan. 33 19-39 2,251,178 Vi'zard' July 29, 1941- 2,299,263 Vizard Oct. 20, 1942 r 2,709,853

top of the bead, a perpendicular shoulder atthe'inner side of the head which extends downwardly to thelevel of the top of the extension, a downwardly beveled lip integral with the inner sideof the horizontal shoulder,,c on- ,stitunng an inseam flange and meanssecu'ri'ng, the head to the shoulder. g

2 References Cited in theme of this pat ent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Vizard; June7, 19 55 7 Joyce Jan. 27137 I i 

